The “Marine and Energy Law Symposium”, which took place in cooperation with Girne American University (GAU) and Ankara University (AU) Faculty of Law, was held at the GAU Cyprus Kyrenia Campus Millennium Senate Congress Hall.

The Marine and Energy Law Symposium were held in two sessions with the cooperation of GAU and AU’s Faculty of LAW.  Attendees of the symposium were, TRNC MP Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tufan Erhürman, GAU Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Sadık Ülker, AU Dean of the Faculty of Law Dr. Arzu Oğuz, Former President of TRNC Constitution Court Taner Enginel, Prof. Dr. Hakan Kara, Eastern Mediterranean University Faculty of Law Dean Dr. Turgut Turhan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cavid Abdullahzate, Assoc. Prof.  Dr. Ismail Demir, academics and students. GAU Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Sadık Ülker and AU Dean of Faculty of Law Dr. Arzu Oğuz made the opening speech of the symposium. In his opening speech GAU Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Sadık Ülker remarked that GAU was founded in 1985 and was the first university of TRNC and today has 8 Faculties, 5 academies and 2 institutes with over 13 thousand students from 96 countries. Ülker stated that GAU is celebrating its 30th academic year today and with its activities it will not only attract the attention of Cyprus but the whole area.

Ülker stated that, in its 2014-2015 academic year GAU has held many symposiums and congress and with the cooperation of Ankara University Faculty of Law they are having the “Marine and Energy Law Symposium”. Additionally Ülker stated that they will be holding another international symposium this week, on Friday the 6th of March they will be having the “I. International Maritime and Transportation Symposium”.

In her opening speech, Ankara University Faculty of Law Dean Prof. Dr. Arzu Oğuz said that they will be focusing on two important issues during the “Marine and Energy Law Symposium” and said that these two issues are vital. Oğuz stated that, issues regarding the subjects are inevitable and these issues arose as a result of the quest to obtain energy resources from the sea the first time it was discovered in the 15th century. Oğuz said that, with this approach marine law first began with sea transport and shipping trade, secondly it began with the use and exploitation of natural resources from the sea.

Oğuz also thanked Girne American University for hosting and cooperation and thanked the academics and speakers for their participations.

The symposium that was held in GAU Cyprus Campus Millennium Senate Congress Hall “International Law in the Context of the Cyprus Exclusive Zone and the underground resource issues, World Energy prospect of the role of Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean, 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and in light of the 1985 TRNC Constitution the investigation of Cyprus Hydrocarbon subject, South Cyprus Egypt Relations on the axis of Gas, Special Sensitive Sea Areas, Limitation of Energy Strategy and Marine Areas in the Eastern Mediterranean, International Law in Offshore facilities conducted by Petroleum Research and Trans-boundary Pollution Damage to the responsibility and Compensation problems” subjects continued in two sessions.